"Marketing the state of Georgia affords me the opportunity to support growth and bring jobs to my home state. We are helping to make a difference in the lives of Georgians."
Ashley Varnum is the Director of Statewide Economic Development on Georgia Power’s Economic Development Team. Ashley leads the team that is focused on the recruitment of new jobs and investment to Georgia.
Prior to joining this team, Ashley was the Division Director for the Global Commerce Division with the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) where she led their regional and statewide economic development teams. Before serving as Division Director, Ashley held various other roles within Global Commerce. Ashley also served as the Executive Director of the Fitzgerald-Ben Hill County Development Authority and as a Project Manager for the Liberty County Development Authority.
Throughout her career, she has assisted domestic and international companies in both industrial and office investments resulting in the creation of more than 31,000 jobs and over $15 billion dollars in new investment. Some notable locations include Hyundai Motor Group’s Meta Plant America, ThyssenKrupp, Purple Mattress, and Honeywell International.
Ashley serves on the board of the Georgia Economic Developers Association, has previously served on the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) Alumni Board, and was noted as a Top 50 Economic Developer in 2020. Ashley is a graduate of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, Georgia. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family.